A Light In the Dark
by October Ashes
Summary: Vince McMahon enlists the help of Randy Orton to help Shawn Michaels remember something very important... Something the other man can't seem to cope with. Set one year after Dark Reflections.
1. He's Not Here

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 1

"I swear to all that is holy, you're wrong!"

Shawn tutted in annoyance. "Not wrong."

"Seriously, you're wrong."

"No I'm," Shawn paused for a moment, then turned to look his friend in the eyes. "Since when did you swear to all things that are holy..? That really isn't like you."

"People change, Shawn."

"Yeah, well... That also changes the fact you think I'm wrong, doesn't it?"

"...Not entirely. You have terrible guessing skills, Shawn. I'm telling you for a fact, Ra's al Ghul is gonna be behind the whole thing."

"Come on! Scarecrow has to have some involvement in it, too!"

"Well, he does, but Ra's al Ghul has a personal vendetta against Bruce and he's trying to hit him where it hurts."

"So you're..."

"Hi daddy!"

Shawn turned to look at his now six-year-old son, Cameron. "Hiya buddy."

"Watcha watching?"

"_Batman Begins_."

"Is that the new Batman movie?"

"Yeah." Shawn replied.

"Can I watch it with you?"

"Dude! Guys night!"

"Ummm... I dunno, Cameron... We're kinda far in..."

"Please?" Cameron asked.

Shawn sighed and was about to respond when Rebecca walked into the room. "Cameron, bed time. Now!"

"But mommy... I was just about to watch a movie with daddy..."

"Oh?" Rebecca looked over at Shawn.

"I was contemplating restarting the movie... But I didn't know how late it was," Shawn turned to look at Cameron. "I'm sorry, buddy. But you have to go to bed. We'll watch the movie together tomorrow, alright?"

"Okay... Goodnight."

"Night, buddy."

Cameron kissed his mother goodnight, then walked to his room. Rebecca turned to look at Shawn again.

"I thought I heard voices in here... Who were you talking to?"

"Just now? Cameron."

"You were talking before Cameron came into the room, Shawn."

Shawn rubbed his head. "Yeah, I know."

"Okay, then... Who were you talking to?"

"I think she should know who you were talking to by now, Shawny."

Shawn glanced to his left, then quickly looked back at his wife. "I thought I told you I had company today."

"Randy left four hours ago."

"Huh. Well, I'd swear he was still here."

Rebecca didn't look convinced. "He's not here, Shawn," She paused and walked towards the door, then turned to look at him again. "Neither one of them are." She continued, then walked away.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Beats me." Shawn replied.

"Is it me, or has she gotten a little weird in the last few months?"

"A lot has happened, you know." Shawn stated, once again turning to look at his friend.

"I know. I was there."

"Good to know your memory hasn't gotten worse."

"My memory isn't bad, okay? I merely forgot what day of the week it was!"

"Yeah, yeah. Excuses."

"Not excuses. Truth."

"My ass."

"Language, Shawn! Jeez. You shouldn't say such things with another married man in the room."

"You're one to talk!"

"Oh, yeah? How so?"

"You've been cursing since the day I met you!" Shawn shouted.

"That was a very long time ago, Shawn... And I never once shouted 'my ass' at you."

"I'm sure there was some form of it mentioned."

"Yeah, maybe a nice 'kiss my ass,' which is something completely different."

"Not true."

"Stuff it, Shawn," The two were silent for a few moments before anyone spoke again. "Your mind is a cluttered mess. Again."

"It usually is."

"Yeah, but you're usually a little more open with me... Any problems?"

Shawn sighed. "Yeah... A year ago today..."

"Time flies, huh?"

"Yeah... But, come on... Paul... Of all people..."

"I know, man. But... Look at it this way. It's been a year and you're still here."

"Yeah, that's mainly because of you... I can't talk to anyone else like this."

"You probably should start talking to people, Shawn... Maybe Randy..?"

Shawn narrowed his eyes angrily. "Are you trying to say you aren't interested in helping me anymore?"

"That's far from it, Shawn. I want to help you as much as I can. It's just... I think Randy can help you, too."

"Not really."

"You haven't even given him a chance. Give him a goddamn chance, Shawn."

"Don't you dare get an attitude with me, Shane," Shawn shouted, then paused. He watched his friend carefully for the next few moments, then sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"You gonna tell me I had a right to snap at you like that?" Shawn asked.

Shane shrugged. "You tell me."

"It was wrong."

"Hey, I'm your friend... You're bound to get mad at me once in awhile."

"Shawn," The man in question turned to look at Rebecca when she entered the room looking slightly agitated, but mostly confused. "Can you please lower your voice?"

"Sorry."

"Who are you talking to?"

"Nobody."

"I'd swear you just said the name 'Shane.'"

"Maybe I did." Shawn stated.

Rebecca walked up to her husband, knelt down in front of him and took both of his hands in hers. "Do you remember when I said 'he's not here?'"

"Yeah. You just said that."

"Okay, good. He's not here, Shawn."

"But," Shawn paused and looked to his left, where Shane was sitting and looking at him. "He's..."

"Shane was killed last year. Don't you remember?" Rebecca asked.

"Busted." Shane mumbled.

Shawn once again turned to his left, where he saw nothing but an empty couch. "I..."

"It's okay, Shawn... It's okay..."

"No," Shawn whispered, turning to look at Rebecca. "It isn't."

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone, and welcome to 'A Light In the Dark,' the sequel to 'Dark Reflections!' **

**A lot of things from 'Dark Reflections' are going to be brought up and answered in this fic, so just put your seat belts on and hold on, because it's going to be an intense ride.**

**Also, I felt like I just had to post this on the six year anniversary of the day I posted DR.**

**Thank you for reading the first chapter! Feel free to review (those are nice) and/or contact me if you have any questions! **


	2. Fix You

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 2

Linda jerked awake from her fitful sleep. She wasn't exactly surprised to find out she was once again alone in bed. Vince had many problems sleeping since Shane died... For months, Linda dealt with Vince screaming during the night. Whether it was asking for help, cursing Paul or begging Shane to wake up. She comforted him as much as he would allow, but he was so far gone from the shock of his oldest child and only son dying in his arms.

Five months, one week and four days after Shane's death, Linda woke up alone in bed. She was concerned at first, running around the mansion and checking every room for her husband before she finally found him. After waking up alone for the forty-fourth time, Linda deemed the behavior as the "new normal" and rolled over to go back to sleep.

Normal behavior now, sure. But she just wanted to make sure Vince was okay. Linda got out of bed and made her way to Vince's current location: Shane's old bedroom.

Linda pushed the door open slowly, and her heart broke when she saw Vince curled in a ball on the bed, facing the wall. She could tell he was crying by his intake of breaths, and his hand was gently stroking one of the many pictures on the wall.

"Vince?"

The man in question looked over his shoulder at her. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

Vince narrowed his eyes, then looked back at the pictures on the wall. "Do I look alright to you, Linda?"

"There's a reason why I asked, you know."

Vince once again turned to look at his wife. "Our son is dead, Linda. He's gone. Won't ever see his boys growing up. Won't see his friends get married and have kids of their own. I think I have a right to not be okay. No parent should have to bury their child, no matter their age."

Linda sighed. "I buried him too, Vince. It'd do you good to remember you aren't the only one who lost a child."

Before Vince could stop her, Linda stormed out of the room with tears streaming down her face. He sighed... He'd have to make up for that later.

But, for now, Vince busied himself with looking at the pictures on the wall. The majority of the people were either current or former WWE employees, but there were some other friends and, of course, family members featured there.

One of Shane's favorite pictures in existence was the center of the collage: a picture featuring him, Vince, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Paul Levesque, Owen Hart, Bret Hart, Dwayne Johnson and Brian Pillman. Vince didn't remember when the picture was taken, nor how they kept everyone from killing each other, but he was happy they did.

Now that he was looking at the pictures, he noticed Shawn was in a lot of them. Then again, Shane always liked Shawn, even when he was being a nasty little bastard... Besides, Shawn always treated Shane like a younger brother.

It made Vince miserable to think of how Shawn was handing the loss...

Then there was Randy Orton. It hurt to think about that, too.

Vince wished he could inflict damage on any of the pictures including Paul Levesque, but the fact Shane took time to put these photos on the wall, and leave them there after he moved out, made him stop himself. Shane wasn't the type to hold a grudge.

_But_, Vince thought, _he would make an exception for this_.

It still bothered everyone that Paul was behind it all. Shawn's kidnapping, rape and abuse... Shane's death... It was an endless cycle of emotions for everyone involved. Even WWE fans approached Vince with their deepest sympathies and expressions of hatred for Paul... It was bad enough that even members of TNA contacted Vince on a regular basis to see how he was doing.

For lack of better terms, the name 'Paul Levesque' had become a bit of a curse word in the WWE.

Vince sighed again. There was so much his son was going to miss out on... His boys growing up, graduating and getting married... His friends experiencing marriage and children... Not to mention, seeing Stephanie's children grow up...

Hell, Shane didn't even get to meet his newborn nephew, Liam Vaughn, who was born nine months after Shane died. Stephanie didn't even know she was pregnant while everything was going down... She didn't find out until Paul was on trial.

Vince was ecstatic to have a new grandchild, and Stephanie got the baby boy she wanted. They didn't notice it right away, but Liam closely resembled his late Uncle, except for the fact he had sparkling blue eyes.

"Maybe I should've named him Shane Brandon." Stephanie had remarked the day Linda showed Stephanie a picture of Shane at two and a half months old.

"No. Liam is just fine. It suits him." Linda stated, smiling at her baby grandson.

"Yeah, I don't want the DNA of the bastard who murdered my son to be the father of the child named after him."

To say that was the end of the discussion was definitely an understatement. A day or so later, Stephanie had announced she was in talks with a lawyer to divorce Paul and get an order of protection banning him from the kids, and, once the divorce goes through, she was changing their last names to 'McMahon.'

_Yes_, Vince thought, _I like the sound of that_.

Vince sighed once again. Stephanie had moved back in with the kids after Paul was sent to prison. He was very grateful for it, especially because Stephanie needed the extra help once she found out she was pregnant with Liam.

He only wished Marissa would move in with Declan and Kenney... He made a promise to Shane to look after those boys, and Marissa was making it difficult by deciding to stay in New York City.

There was a soft knock on the door and Vince gulped. He wasn't ready to apologize to Linda for making her cry just yet, so he pretended to be asleep. He knew Linda wouldn't disturb him if he was sleeping...

"Daddy?"

Vince groaned. It was Stephanie, and she knew he was awake... Now he had to say something. "Yes?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," Vince shifted so he could face Stephanie when she sat down on the edge of the bed. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"

Stephanie sighed. "A lot of things. My kids... Shane..."

Vince patted her hand. "Aurora and Liam will be fine, honey."

"I know. It just worries me that all of your grandchildren are going to be growing up without their fathers."

"Shit happens."

"Does it bother you that the father of two of your-"

"You're damn right it bothers me. My son deserved more than that, dammit. Your bastard of a husband turned out to be such a coward in the end. What kind of man tries to murder his best friend with a horse tranquilizer and then strikes his brother-in-law in the chest with a pipe?"

Stephanie looked away from her father, blinking away the tears. "I wish Paul didn't do it, daddy."

"I wish a lot of things about that night, Stephanie. I wish I listened to Shane. I wish I brought Shawn back to our hotel room with us. I wish..," Vince paused to let out a frustrated sigh. "I wish your brother was still alive."

"Me too, daddy... But we can't change the past... Only learn from it," When Vince didn't respond, Stephanie sighed and continued. "Shane wouldn't want us to be like this, daddy."

"Yeah? Well, Shane is dead. He can't speak for himself."

"Dad!" Stephanie shouted.

The tone of voice Stephanie used was very similar to the one Shane used to be stern with Vince, and that alone made the older man cringe.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. You're right. He wouldn't want us to hold a grudge... But I think he'd make an exception for this."

Stephanie remained silent for a few moments. "You and I both know he wouldn't."

Vince narrowed his eyes angrily at his daughter. "If this situation happened to Shane's friends, you'd bet your ass he'd hold a grudge."

Stephanie returned the look she was on the receiving end of. "I guess you knew him better than I did, huh? Is that what you're trying to say? I don't know my brother?"

"Stephanie, that's-"

"Don't try to bullshit me! That's exactly what you're trying to say. Well, guess what, dad? We _all_ knew him. He was kind and funny and smart and loyal to his friends and he loved his family and friends to death. And that's what happened that night. He died trying to protect one of his friends. That explains everything about him, dad. The fact he got shot and eventually died trying to protect someone he loved shows the kind of person he was. He was brave. That's the man I knew my brother as. And you know what else, dad..? You need to stop. Your son may have died in your arms, but you aren't the only one who lost him. Mom lost her son. I lost my brother. My kids lost their Uncle. Marissa lost her husband and those poor little boys lost their father. They'll never get to know him at all and the only thing you care about is who knew him best? Grow up, dad. This is reality, not kindergarten."

Stephanie stormed out of the room before Vince had the thought to stop her. He knew she was right, but he needed time. He didn't exactly know what he needed time for, but he'd figure it out when he got to it.

What he did know was he was screwed when it came to dealing with both Linda and Stephanie during the day.

...This is definitely one of those times when he missed having Shane around to help...


	3. In Between

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 3

It was midday on one of Shawn's "blank" days when he found himself sitting in his local church, a place he hadn't been to in over a year. He wasn't planning on going there, it just kind of... Happened.

Shawn remembered a time when going to church was one of his daily routines. He remembered when he felt like the church was a safe haven for him. Now it felt different. Cold, empty...foreign. Then again, he was different, and a small part of him figured that was why he didn't feel comfortable anywhere. He felt like a stranger in his own home, the arenas were nothing short of a horror show, and church... Well... His feelings were obvious with how much he wanted to get up and leave.

But, for some reason, his body was betraying his mind.

Instead of standing and heading for the door, he remained seated in the pew, a small part of him hoping he would once again feel safe in the church he frequented so long ago. He couldn't even figure out why he wanted that part of him back, as he gave up on God and religion just as he felt God gave up on him the previous year.

After all, there couldn't be a God after all of that.

Just as the disgust Shawn felt reached its boiling point, someone entered the church through the priests entrance from the rectory. Shawn groaned and rolled his eyes and pushed off of the bench, finally deciding it was time for him to leave before things got more awkward than they already were.

"Shawn?"

Shawn froze in place, sitting back down and turning towards the voice.

"I knew it was you, Shawn! How wonderful it is to see you!"

Shawn shook the mans hand, giving him a well practiced fake smile. "It's nice to see you, too, Father Gregory."

"It's been far too long, my boy. What kept you away for all this time, Shawn?"

Shawn felt that ever-so-familiar feeling of being trapped creep up on him. He looked around the church, seeing the once scarily familiar sights for the first time in what felt like ages and sighed, then looked back at Father Gregory. "Lost my faith."

Father Gregory raised a confused eyebrow. "I beg your pardon, Shawn?"

Shawn looked Father Gregory in the eyes and cleared his throat, trying to build the confidence to say what he felt he had to say to help get the weight off of his shoulders. "I said I lost my faith, Father."

Father Gregory was genuinely confused by Shawn's statement. "What do you mean?"

"You're well aware of what happened last year, and you're a smart man. I'm sure you can figure out what I meant when I said I lost my faith."

Father Gregory sighed. "You're right, I am well aware of what happened to you and your friends, and I strongly believe that you have the right to question your faith... But you need God in your life now more than ever, Shawn."

"Don't tell me that. God gave up on me the moment that man got his hands on me."

"You and I both know that isn't true."

"Oh? What isn't true?"

"God didn't give up on you, Shawn... You're still here today, aren't you? God will never abandon you."

"Then you tell me why that all happened. Everything with me... An innocent man was killed for helping me, and my best friend was behind it all. Tell me how my faith should be stronger after something like that. Tell me how God is still on my side."

Father Gregory's mouth gaped open in shock. "Shawn... Sometimes... There are no explanations for things..."

Shawn's eyes narrowed. He knew the priest wouldn't have the answers he was looking for. Hell, nobody would... How could they? Shawn didn't even have the answers, and that's one thing that bothered him the most. "I thought I was forgiven for my sins years ago. I work hard to be a good person, Father. And I understand the saying 'bad things happen to good people,' but... I endured nearly three months of hell during my stay in Ohio. Toss in the death of a close friend and the betrayal of a lifetime and... You can't ask me to have faith after that."

Father Gregory looked Shawn in the eyes, then placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Listen to me, my son. When I said there are no explanations for things sometimes, I meant that the Lord works in mysterious ways. What He does now might not make sense for weeks, months, or even years to come. We must have patience while we wait for clarity. I can't tell you why this past year has been difficult for you and your loved ones, Shawn. I can't even begin to try to explain to you why your friend was taken from you, or why your best friend chose to abandon you for evil. What I can tell you is that you still have many people around you who love you and want to see you get better."

"I don't think I can be the man I was before this happened, Father."

"That's a shame, my son. I quite like the man you were... And I'm sure he'll return one day when you least expect it... A phoenix rising from the ashes of tragedy."

Shawn stared at Father Gregory, even after the man patted him on the shoulder, stood up and walked back towards the rectory. Shawn didn't quite know what to make of the conversation. He trusted Father Gregory, and he trusted the man's judgment, but he wasn't quite sure if he should start the long journey of getting his faith back after losing it over a year ago.

"Ouch! Stop thinking so loud! You're giving me a headache!"


	4. The Sharpest Lives

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 4

Vince was sitting in one of his favorite places: his office in an arena prior to Monday Night Raw. Granted, he liked arenas a lot more before things went to hell the previous year. Still, for some odd reason, the arenas still felt like home to him, and that's what Vince loved.

He heard from somewhere that if someone close to you passed away and you used to do certain things together, it would make you feel closer to that person if you continued doing whatever it was after they passed. Vince wouldn't dare to start play fights backstage, as that was something Shane usually initiated, but he felt like his son was always with him, especially at arenas. After all, he had been bringing Shane to arenas since he was around two years old... He was too much of a proud new father to not bring his kid around to show off to the guys.

A sudden knock on the door tore him away from his thoughts, and he was barely able to shout out a 'come in' before the door opened and Randy Orton slid into the room and shut the door behind him.

The two stared at one another somewhat awkwardly before Randy smiled sheepishly and waved. "Hi!"

Vince smiled back at him. "Hello, Randy."

"How goes it?"

Vince shrugged. "You know how it is... Same shit different day."

Randy nodded his head, then fell silent. He always felt awkward when it came to having to go to Vince's office to talk to him about something, but the feeling was intensified by the anniversary that had just passed. Randy noticed the general morale of the locker-room had changed ever since Shane died; everyone seemed somewhat down all the time, and that got worse when Paul was sent to prison and Shawn stopped coming around as much as he used to. On this night, however, the locker-room was like a ghost town. Nobody was around, and going by the conversations with the few people Randy stopped to speak to, nobody felt like even existing that day.

Some of the guys had even taken to wearing bands on their arms with the initials 'SM' on them in Shane's signature navy blue and white almost all the time. Randy thought it was a great idea when he saw John Cena had made his own (as he was the first person to start it, although Randy had mentioned it a few days before) and had the seamstresses work on hundreds of them; and he literally gave them out to anyone who asked for one. In one city alone, he gave out five hundred and seventy-two of them to the fans. Granted, he had help from some of the guys, but it was still a great feeling, nonetheless. Vince seemed overly joyed by it when he saw a bunch of the fans, backstage workers and wrestlers wearing the band on what would have been Shane's birthday.

He seemed honored when the guys kept wearing the band, despite the fact that the days were insignificant.

"Every day is significant when it comes to honoring Shane's memory." John had said, and it was left at that.

Randy was suddenly brought back to his current problem... The WWE was in San Antonio, and he had heard that Shawn was supposed to be coming to the arena. He wasn't exactly sure about how to bring it up with Vince, although he knew that everyone kept tabs on Shawn since what happened a year prior, but it had to be done...

"So... Um..," Randy paused to meet Vince's gaze, then sighed. "We're in San Antonio..."

"You know your geography. Impressive, Orton." Vince replied, sounding somewhat agitated, almost as if he knew where the conversation was going.

"Doesn't... Um... Doesn't Shawn live around here..?" Randy asked, slowly piecing together the right words.

"Yes." Vince growled.

"Um... Okay... Now, don't hurt me... But... I, uh... I heard Shawn was supposed to be coming to the arena tonight."

Vince sighed and nodded his head ever so slightly. "You know I would never intentionally hurt you, Randy... But, yes, I heard the same thing."

"Have you spoke to Shawn at all..?"

Vince sighed again, then ran a hand through his hair. "No, I haven't... Not in at least a month or so... You?"

"I went to see him the other day."

Vince raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How did that go?"

"It... Went. We spoke a little bit about how things were going in the business. He mentioned possibly coming back, but being very unsure of himself when it comes to being in arenas, ya know..? Although he did seem a little funny in general..."

"How do you mean?"

"Well... When I was talking, he would glance to the other side of him frequently, almost as if he was looking at something."

"That's odd." Vince commented.

"It is... Especially since there was nothing there."

Vince brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Are you sure..?"

"Positive."

Vince sighed. "Nothing has been the same..."

Randy immediately knew what Vince meant and sighed. "It's never going to be the same, Vince... We just have to learn how to... Move on."

Vince narrowed his eyes angrily. "Maybe I'd rather have my damn son back."

"And maybe I'd rather have three of my closest friends back. We can't always have what we want, Vince. I thought you understood that," Randy waited until Vince looked him in the eyes before he continued. "Look... Shane might be gone, Shawn might be mentally unstable and that asshole will be in jail for years on end... But you have Declan, Kenney, Aurora and Liam... You have people around you who love you, Vince. We're trying to help. I wanna help. You know I do... You just need to let us."

Vince rolled his eyes in agitation. "You know what, Randy-"

Randy was somewhat thankful for the knock on the door, and was even twice as thankful when it opened and John Cena slid into the room. "Uh... Hey, boss... Stephanie wanted me to tell you Shawn is here."

Vince and Randy locked eyes for a moment, then looked back at John. "Okay... Where is he?"

"With Stephanie, I think."

"...You mean to tell me you lost Shawn..?"

"Well he is fully capable of walking, ya know."

Randy was trying really hard to not facepalm while listening to the conversation. If he was anywhere else, he might have left the room and let the two men continue talking...

"Randy! Go find Shawn!"

Randy jumped at Vince's words, but nodded and slid out of the room anyway. He walked around the arena without direction. After all, it had been quite some time since Shawn was last at a WWE event, and even then, it was always obvious where Shawn would be... All you had to do was figure out where him and Paul liked hanging out in said arena. Plans for him to get back in the ring were halted after that one night in Montréal, and plans for him to be involved in the business as anything went to complete hell the night of Shane's tribute show.

Randy tried to tell Vince that attempting to involve Shawn in too much too soon would be a huge problem, but he didn't listen. It wasn't much of a shock to Randy when Shawn completely flipped out backstage that one night... It was a shock, however, when Shawn gave him a black eye.

Turning the corner towards the cafeteria, Randy pulled on the breaks, stopping short before he crashed into the man he was supposed to be looking for. He was able to avoid him, however, as Shawn had his back to Randy and was looking at the wall.

"Shawn?"

Shawn whirled around to face Randy. "Oh, it's you."

Randy scoffed, then raised a confused eyebrow. "Who else would it be?"

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Anyone, I guess... Although, I do have to say, we'd rather it be you than someone else..."

"...'We?'"

"Ugh, you know what I mean. Me. I. Same shit."

"But... You said 'we'd.'"

"I know what I said. I didn't mean it."

Randy rubbed his forehead in thought. He considered what Shawn was used to when it came to being in the arena as opposed to how much things changed recently. Shawn was definitely used to speaking for both himself and Paul... However, there was the thing from when Randy was at Shawn's house several days prior...

"Shawn... Can I ask you a question?"

"I don't know. Can you?"

Randy had no choice but to smile. That sounded a hell of a lot like the old Shawn... But he had to continue and ruin the moment. "The other day when I was at your house... What were you looking at?"

Shawn raised a confused eyebrow. "What?"

"When I was at your house, you were looking to your left, almost as if you were looking at someone or something... What were you looking at?"

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Randy sighed. "I think you do, and you're just either too confused about it or too embarrassed to admit it to me."

Shawn scoffed at Randy, then rolled his eyes. "Why in the blue hell would I be too confused or too embarrassed to admit anything to you, Orton?"

"You tell me."

"Judging by the way you're talking to me, I'd assume you already have something in mind. So... What is it, Orton? What is it you think I'm too ashamed to admit to?"

Randy sighed again, taking a long moment to stare at Shawn. "I think you..."


	5. A Lotta Nerve

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 5

"Judging by the way you're talking to me, I'd assume you already have something in mind. So... What is it, Orton? What is it you think I'm too ashamed to admit to?"

Randy sighed again, taking a long moment to stare at Shawn. "I think you... I think you have a serious problem and you're not sure how to go about voicing it to someone."

Shawn raised a confused eyebrow. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Randy rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I'm not exactly sure right now, but I know something is off with you," Randy paused for a moment, then sighed. "Look... Vince wants to see you. He told me to come out here and find you so I could bring you to his office. Sound okay?"

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "Guess so."

"Good, 'cause you have no choice." Randy stated, then started walking back towards Vince's office.

He was slightly surprised that Shawn actually followed him.

* * *

"Something is wrong with Shawn, man."

Vince looked over at John with a quirked eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

John looked at Vince like he had sprouted another head. "Do I really need to explain myself? He isn't the same person he was, Vince. The shit that happened changed him, man, and I don't like it one bit... I mean... Okay, look me in the eyes and tell me you don't think there's anything funny about him."

Vince sighed. "He does fly off the handle a lot nowadays..."

"It's more than that."

"I know. He's unstable. Has been since..."

"I know. You don't have to mention it... I saw it with my own eyes a year ago... I just wish he'd get some help, ya know?"

"Shawn doesn't need any help, John."

John raised his eyebrows at Vince. "Did you really just suggest that that man is perfectly fine? Vince, you know as well as I do that Shawn has some serious friggin' problems and they're only going to get worse if we continue to pretend nothing is wrong with him."

The two men looked over at the door when they heard a knock. John leaned over ever so slightly and opened the door, allowing Rebecca Hickenbottom to slip into the room and close the door behind her.

"Thank you, John."

"No problem."

Vince stood up and walked over to Rebecca, then embraced her. "Damn, it's been awhile."

"I agree. Too long." Rebecca replied, smiling as Vince broke the hug and looked her in the eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Shawn. Well, kind of. I broke away from him when we got into the arena... I had to come and see you before he got here."

Vince raised a confused eyebrow, then turned to John and saw the man had the same expression on his face, so he turned back to Rebecca. "How do you mean..?"

"I need to talk to you... About Shawn," Rebecca paused and turned to look at John. "Alone, if you don't mind."

"Not at all... I'll see you later." John stated and took his leave.

Once the door closed, Vince met Rebecca's eyes and saw she was being very serious. "What's the matter?"

"I think he's insane."

"Now, Becky... I know he's been through a lot within the last year, but that's no reason to assume he's gone insane... I mean, I'm sure he's being quirky, but it'll-"

"He isn't being quirky."

"Okay, then... What's the problem..?"

"He's hallucinating."

Vince raised both eyebrows. "Pardon me?"

Rebecca closed her eyes and sighed, trying to figure out the best way to tell Vince what Shawn's problem was. She figured any way it came out would be equally as painful as the other, especially since the truth was hard to bear, so she looked Vince in the eyes again. "Vince... Please don't take any offense to what comes out of my mouth."

Vince chuckled at Rebecca. "Where would you ever get an-"

"Shawn hallucinates Shane."

Vince's face immediately fell and his eyes filled with fury. Rebecca regretted telling him the way she did, but she had to get it out, and he wasn't exactly working with her. She was being serious with him, and he had to know the whole truth...

"What?" Vince's voice was barely above a whisper, and Rebecca swore his eyes were filling with tears.

"I'm not sure how long it's been going on... But Shawn will have full-fledged conversations by himself. I swear to you, he's alone in a room and he's talking like there's someone in there with him... He did it the other night when Randy was over. And then I heard it... He said Shane's name. I mean... I reminded him that Shane is gone... But he seemed confused."

"What do you mean he seemed confused?" Vince asked.

"He seemed like he didn't understand that Shane isn't alive."

"What..?"

Rebecca sighed. "Listen... I know this is hard for you to deal with... I mean, it's hard for all of us, but you were there... And Shawn felt responsible for what happened... He still has a guilty conscience about it, and I don't understand why... I can't even comprehend what the hell is wrong with him that makes him believe Shane is still here."

"Did you catch him in the middle of a conversation?"

"Yes. He doesn't even mention it... He acts like it never happened."

"I can't even comprehend this situation..," Vince paused to shake his head. "Are you telling me... That Shawn doesn't believe Shane is dead?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"This is a big problem."

"I've realized that... That's why I wanted to get here before Shawn did and tell you about it. You know he won't say anything."

"Right. Shawn never really expressed himself much. Luckily, I had some guys who were able to read him like a book."

Rebecca paused to look at Vince sadly. She knew exactly who he was referring to. "Yeah, but now you have Randy and his... Ability."

Vince quirked an eyebrow. "Who told you about that..?"

"Nobody. I heard Shane and Randy talking about it one night..."

Vince put a finger to his lips to silence Rebecca, as they started hearing voices that sounded a hell of a lot like Randy and Shawn walking down the hallway towards the office. There were two short knocks on the door before it opened to reveal the two, who slipped into the room and shut the door behind them.

"Hello!" Vince shouted, moving over to Shawn to greet him properly.

"Hiya." Shawn accepted Vince's hug without much awkwardness, thankfully, and the two separated to look one another in the eyes.

"How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. You?"

"Good, good. We're all great... We miss you around here."

Shawn looked around the office, then back at Vince. "I... Kinda miss being here."

Vince smiled at Shawn and put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, that's fantastic to hear! Maybe you could come back and become a part of the Creative Team."

Shawn smiled and half-heartedly shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not too sure Steph would want me millin' around her neck of the woods..."

"Oh, stop it. Stephanie loves having you around."

"How is Stephanie..?" Shawn asked.

"She's good. Adjusting to life back at home with the little ones... Have you met her newborn..?"

Shawn shook his head. "Can't say I have."

Vince pulled out his phone and turned it to Shawn, smiling broadly. "That's him!"

"He's a handsome devil." Shawn commented.

"Isn't he?" Vince asked.

"What's his name?"

"Liam Vaughn."

Rebecca smiled, looking over Shawn's shoulder to see the picture. "Hmmm. I don't agree with it."

"What," Randy shouted, almost tripping over nothing. "It suits the little devil!"

Rebecca tsk'ed at him. "He should've been named after the person he looks like."

Vince immediately knew what she meant, then took the phone and looked at the picture. "How come everyone says that..? I refuse to allow that name to be associated with that-"

"Anyway, moving on! Have you two seen anyone else yet..?" Randy asked, turning his attention over to the couple.

"No. We wanted to go and see some of the guys..."

Vince smiled. "Oh, please... Don't hesitate to go ahead and do that... The door is always open! Well... For the remainder of the show, anyway..."

"We'll be back later, then." Shawn stated, leaving the room with Rebecca.

Once the door closed, Vince looked over at Randy. "I know what's wrong with Shawn."

"Really? What?"

"Rebecca told me before the two of you got here. She said that Shawn is having a serious problem when it comes to accepting the fact that Shane is dead."

Randy looked confused. "What?"

"She said he hallucinates him and has full conversations with him."

Randy stared wide-eyed at Vince. "Holy shit... Now... That is intense..."

"So that leaves me with one question..."

Randy raised a confused eyebrow when Vince didn't continue. "What?"

"Is Shane still around?"


	6. Bounce

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 6

"So that leaves me with one question..."

Randy raised a confused eyebrow when Vince didn't continue. "What?"

"Is Shane still around?"

Randy stared at his boss for several long moments, taking in the seriousness of the question. Why the hell would Vince ask him something like that? He awkwardly shifted his weight from leg to leg to try and distract himself from it. He closed his eyes for what felt like hours, silently begging the floor to open up and swallow him. When Vince cleared his throat, Randy opened his eyes and found himself on the receiving end of a glare.

He cleared his throat sheepishly. "No."

Vince quirked an eyebrow. As if watching Randy become jell-o after his question wasn't irritating enough, he had to wait for an answer that didn't make him feel any better when it came to the recent news about Shawn.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Hmmm... So... That means Shawn is going crazy."

"I don't think Shawn is crazy," Vince looked back at Randy when he heard the tone the other man was using. "I simply think he lost the ability to cope with what happened last year... Doesn't mean he's crazy, it just means he needs to see a shrink and get some medicine."

"In Shawn's world, that makes him crazy."

"But he isn't crazy!" Randy shouted.

Vince rubbed his temples, trying to contain his anger at the younger man. "Randy... You don't understand what I'm trying to say... It doesn't matter that we think Shawn isn't crazy. If we can convince Rebecca to take him to get mental help, he's going to think he's crazy no matter what anyone says. Honestly, how do you think you'd react to hearing you're hallucinating your dead friend?"

Randy sighed. "Poorly, actually. But we're gonna have to break it to him gently... How has Rebecca been dealing with it?"

Vince shrugged. "Don't know... Probably by talking to him and distracting him from whatever conversation he's in," Vince paused to sigh. "What do you think he talks about..?"

"No clue... Probably just random shit."

"Like..?"

"I don't know, Vince. Whatever you talk to your friend about. Sports, movies..."

Vince sighed. "Do you think Shawn still feels guilty?"

Randy raised a confused eyebrow. "Why would he feel guilty about anything..?"

"Last year... After what happened. He felt really guilty. He felt like it was his fault Shane died because he wouldn't heed his warnings about Paul. Do you think that has something to do with what's happening now?"

Randy shrugged his shoulders. "Can't be sure, really. I mean, I don't think Shawn should feel guilty, but I can understand why he feels that way. You have to take something under consideration, Vince... Shawn's pride was deeply damaged last year when he got kidnapped. Something like that just doesn't get better... It takes a lot of time. Unfortunately things got even worse with Paul being involved the way he was... Shane's death was the push Shawn didn't need. That little shove into borderline insanity."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

Vince and Randy whirled around to the door and saw Rebecca standing there looking slightly upset.

"Where's Shawn?" Vince asked.

"Talking to Mark. Figured I'd slip back here for a moment to see what the two of you were up to... I knew better than to trust Vince when he's practically shoving you out of his office but telling you it's fine to come back later."

Vince chuckled. "I had to tell Randy what you told me."

Rebecca looked over at Randy. "And?"

"It's impossible. I mean... For it to really be him."

Rebecca sighed. "So he is going crazy."

"I'm afraid so," Vince stated, at the same time Randy mumbled "I don't think he's crazy."

Rebecca looked back and forth between the two. "Sorry?"

Vince sighed. "Randy doesn't agree with the fact Shawn is losing his mind."

"I don't think he should be treated like he's crazy! He isn't! He's having a normalish mental reaction to everything that's happened to him! I mean, Jesus, Vince... Have you ever even considered what Shawn has to deal with on top of the fact his so-called 'best friend' of twelve or so years decided to try and kill him and actually succeeded in killing someone Shawn has treated like a little brother for almost twenty years?! Cause I think that shit would drive you crazy."

"That would drive anyone crazy."

The awkward silence in the room ended when Shawn ran in, huffing and puffing like he had just participated in a marathon. Randy, Rebecca and Vince looked over at the man with concern etched on their faces, yet each of them was too afraid to approach him to see what was wrong. After several moments, Shawn looked up at them.

"Yes?"

Vince gestured around Shawn. "Are you okay?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

Vince and Randy eyed one another, then turned to look back at Rebecca and Shawn.

"So... I was thinking... How would you like to return to the business?" Vince asked.

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "As what?"

"Randy's manager."

Randy held back the explosive 'what' he was planning on shouting once he heard Vince's suggestion. He looked over at Shawn and smiled at him. The older man was chomping on a piece of gum and was obviously deep in thought; something Randy hadn't seen him do in about two years.

"You're on."


	7. Honestly

A Light In the Dark  
Chapter 7

"I can't believe you offered him a spot in the business without talking it over with any of us... Or Rebecca, for that matter!"

Vince watched as Stephanie paced around the living room of the McMahon mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. She had been complaining to Vince for ages that Shawn needed to be on the road with the WWE again, yet now that he offered Shawn a spot as Randy's manager and Shawn actually accepted it without coming up with excuses, she was throwing a shit fit.

"I don't understand what has you so upset about it..."

Stephanie stopped in her tracks and whirled around to face her father. "You didn't consult anyone! You just went ahead and did it on your own!"

"Listen... You asked me to offer Shawn a role in the WWE. I took it upon myself to ask him if he wanted to be Randy's manager. Why is that such a problem?"

Stephanie stared at Vince for awhile, then sighed and looked down at the floor. "I'm afraid he's going to snap and hurt someone... Or hurt himself... You know how unpredictable he is when he's unstable."

"I think he'll be fine, Steph. I mean... It's Shawn. He's under control. And having Orton around him all the time will make it easier."

Stephanie scoffed. "Shawn isn't 'under control,' dad. He's one tiny push from losing his mind."

"I disagree."

"Don't you remember how he acted a couple of months ago when we still had him hanging around backstage?! He went absolutely insane and punched Randy in the face! We can't endanger everyone like that... It's not good for anyone."

"Steph... Shawn isn't a danger to anyone."

"Did you not hear anything I just said..?"

"I heard you, Stephanie. I just think Randy will be able to contain Shawn now."

"That certainly hasn't worked in the past..."

"Listen... I just think this is a good idea, okay? I think it's what we all need... Some type of normalcy."

Stephanie took a deep breath. "Having Shawn around won't bring Shane back."

"I'm well aware of that, Stephanie. I just think that Shawn needs to be back here."

Stephanie sighed again, then looked Vince in the eyes. "There's something I have to tell you, actually..."

"About?"

"Paul."

Vince cringed at the mention of Paul's name. "Mmhmm?"

"I got a letter from him."

"...Oh?"

"Yeah... I figured I'd tell you... Ya know..?"

"Are you planning on writing him back?"

"No. I can't. Not after what he did."

"Any news from the lawyer?"

"Well... That's what Paul's letter was about... He was informed of what I was planning on doing and he was asking me not to go through with it because he loves Aurora and, apparently, he still loves me... But he said he would learn to understand and accept my choices if I still decide to go through with it. I'm going to tell my lawyer that I'm not giving up and, in turn, he'll tell Paul's lawyer that I still want to go through with it. I need to protect my kids from the bastard that killed my brother, no matter how much a lack of a father figure might hurt them later in life."

Vince sighed. "Steph... Someone else might come along..."

"I doubt that, daddy. I loved Paul with all my heart. What he did really hurt me. I don't think I'll ever be able to open myself up like that ever again."

"What about Randy?"

Stephanie looked shocked. "What about Randy?!"

"Ask Randy to help you out with the kids. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to-"

"I don't see Randy like that."

"You didn't see Paul in that way, either!"

Stephanie huffed in annoyance. "I just... I mean... I don't think that's possible after everything we've been through."

"How would you know unless you asked?"

"Aren't men supposed to make the first move..?"

Vince scoffed. "It's the twenty-first century, Stephanie. Live a little."

Stephanie raised an amused eyebrow at her father. "I can't believe you just said that."

"You were leaving me no choice." Vince stated, a sly smirk pulling at his features.

Stephanie sighed again. "I don't want to seem like the desperate little sister... Who just so happens to be a single mother."

Vince waved her off. "You aren't desperate... You're just... I don't know. You're unsure, I guess."

"Aurora and Liam need a father figure in their life, dad. I'm not sure Randy is..."

"I think Randy is perfectly capable-"

"What is Randy perfectly capable of?"

Stephanie and Vince turned and saw Randy standing in the middle of the living room, looking at them curiously. They glanced at one another, then looked back at Randy.

"I think you're perfectly capable of controlling Shawn while he's back on the road with us." Vince stated.

Randy raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Vince, I've known you long enough to know when you're bluffing..."

"I'm being perfectly honest, Randy. I know that you can help Shawn with the... Ahem... Recent development... You know how to keep him calm, which is more than I can do... Now, anyway. I used to be able to control him. Now... I don't think he respects many people."

"I don't think you get it, Vince... It's not that he doesn't respect people... It's just... He lost the ability to feel. I'm sure you'd be a bit fucked in the head if your best friend... Ya know..."

"You don't have to cut it short because I'm here, Randy." Stephanie stated.

"I'm not, Steph. I can't stand repeating what he did," Randy paused for a moment, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "So, yeah... How are the kids?"

"They're fine... Wanna see Liam?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Great. Be back in a few." Stephanie stated and left the living room.

Randy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, then turned to look at Vince. "How are things going with jailbird?"

Vince groaned. "He's trying to change her mind about the divorce."

Randy quirked an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"He wrote her a letter."

"Oh... Well... That's awkward."

"Yeah... So... What brings you to Greenwich?"

"Well... I wanted to talk to you."

"About the Shawn thing?"

"Yeah. I mean. That was awfully sudden... And I'm not sure if it's that great of an idea."

"I know. Don't get me wrong, Randy... I want Shawn back to the way he was, and the only way I know how to do that is to offer him some kind of role backstage because that's what normal is to him. It was extremely sudden, and for that, I apologize... I just... I don't know... I want him to be around. I feel like that might... Clear things up for him."

Randy sighed. "I understand, Vince... I just feel like you don't know what you're getting into. Shawn can be violent when he freaks out. I don't want him snapping and taking it out on some kid sitting ringside."

"I'm sure that won't happen, Randy. He has more self control than that."

"I know he does, Vince... But you don't know how bad he can snap until it happens."

"Is that the only reason why you disagree with my decision?"

"...He's unpredictable... That has me concerned."

"I'm sure he'll be better now, Orton."

"There's no point arguing this with you..."

"I've been told I'm a very stubborn man." Vince replied.

"If he does something that hurts someone, you'll know you were wrong."

"If that time comes, I'll be glad to admit to it... Is there something else you wanted, Orton?"

"Well, there-"

Before Randy was able to finish his sentence, Stephanie arrived in the living room with Liam in her arms. She walked straight up to Randy and gave him the child without a single word, then walked over to the couch and sat down. Vince watched as Randy sat next to his daughter and the two started chit chatting about how adorable Liam was and how sweet he looked when he was sleeping. He raised an eyebrow as he watched the two, silently wondering if it was something Shane would have approved of.

Vince couldn't tell if he imagined it, but he swore he caught a whiff of Shane's cologne.

Oh, yeah. Definitely something his son would have approved of... And he'd be lying if he said he didn't think it was a good idea.


End file.
